Description

How do brothers and sisters shape one another? Siblings in Adolescence provides a comprehensive overview of the most up-to-date, international empirical research on the sibling bond during the critical adolescent years. The authors examine how the relationship impacts on adolescent development, as well as the effect on and within the family, using evidence from behaviour genetics, cross-cultural studies, and research utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods.

The book presents a multi-faceted dynamic view of the adolescent sibling relationship, drawing on perspectives from sociological, psychological, and ecological and systems science. It introduces a novel theoretical perspective which covers sibling dynamics across various key environments such as their families, communities, and cultures. Parents and siblings will also find useful coverage of the following issues:

school and life transitions

parental separation

health, illness, and disability

diverse family experiences.

Siblings in Adolescence will be indispensable for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying human development, and will supplement postgraduate courses for teachers, counsellors, and social, youth, and health workers. It will also be required reading for all those who work and do research with families and young people.

Reviews

‘This timely, accessible, and important book fills a gap in the developmental literature by integrating different theoretical and methodological perspectives on research in adolescent siblings. It will be of interest to a wide variety of audiences including beginning psychology students to more advanced researchers.’ – Harriet Tenenbaum, University of Surrey, UK

‘In spite of their daily presence in the social lives of most adolescents, siblings are often overlooked in developmental research. This comprehensive and clearly presented book points to the complex ways that siblings contribute to adolescent development and to the challenges of studying this important interpersonal relationship.’– William M. Bukowski, Concordia University, Canada

‘Ittel and Sisler offer an impressive account of the adolescent sibling relationship. They draw on international research utilizing a diverse array of methodologies and theories within the social sciences and across related fields. This comprehensive volume will be a critical addition to the libraries of advanced developmental psychology students, researchers, and advocates outside of academia.’ – Kristin Anderson, University of Houston-Downtown, USA

‘A much-needed, unique, and comprehensive book detailing the latest research and theories on sibling relationships in adolescence. This book will be an excellent resource for family researchers, practitioners, and those interested in key findings regarding the important role of siblings in adolescents' lives.’ – Linda Juang, University of Potsdam, Germany

Table of Contents

Introduction: Siblings in Adolescence 1. Theoretical and Thematic Plurality in Sibling Research 2. Adolescent Siblings and Within Family Study 3. Siblings and their relationships: Correlates and effects 4. Behavioural Genetics and Sibling Research 5. Cross-Cultural and International Research on Siblings in Adolescence 6. Methods in Family and Sibling Research: Markus Hess, Freie Universität Berlin, Aiden Sisler, TU-Berlin 7. Findings and futures in sibling research Appendix: Selected International Sibling Projects

About the Authors

Aiden Sisler is a doctoral student at the Institute of Education at the Technische Universität Berlin (TUB), Germany, where she investigates the intersection of culture, gender, education, and politics. With 15 years of experience working with children, and 28 years of being one, Aiden lends her expertise to projects dedicated to youths’ well-being.

Angela Ittel is Professor of Educational Psychology at the Institute of Education at the Technische Universität Berlin (TUB), Germany. Dr. Ittel’s research focuses on gender and cultural factors in education as well as familial and school-based contexts for development.

About the Series

The Studies in Adolescent Development series is published in conjunction with the European Association for Research on Adolescence and is committed to publishing and promoting the highest quality of writing in the field of adolescent development.

The series aims to respond to the recent shifts in the social and ecological environment of adolescents and in the new theoretical perspectives within the social science by providing a range of books, each of which deals in-depth with an aspect of current interest within the field of adolescent development.

Each book focuses on a specific aspect of adolescence and provides either a clear picture of the research endeavours which are currently serving to extend the boundaries of our knowledge and understanding of the field, or an insightful theoretical perspective of adolescent development. The editors encourage publications which represent original contributions to the field.